Monthly Archives: February 2010

Garden Plants

Foundation Planting Rules

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Probably no feature on the average American home grounds is more abused by being over-planted than the so called “foundation planting.” There is one reason, and only one, for such a planting: to soften the architectural features of the building by using plant material at strategic locations and thus help blend the house into its natural surroundings.

Basic Rule

There is one fundamental guiding rule for every foundation planting, whether for a small cottage, a large pretentious home, or a huge industrial building. That rule is:

“Plant material shall be placed at those points where the strong vertical architectural lines meet the ground. Of course this broad statement is subject to minor qualifications under certain conditions. Put in still simpler language, it says, “Use plants at the corners of the building and at either side of doorways.”

Causes of Over-Planting

The owner of a home or of a large industrial building, or the authorities in charge of civic buildings and their grounds, are naturally tempted to seek an immediate effect when planning the landscape planting around the foundation of the building they control. That is probably the main reason for extensive over-planting.

Another reason is the fact that in millions of homes of all kinds, in every section of our country, the foundation planting problem has been handled in much the same manner. So it is only natural that a new homeowner will look around, see what so many others have done, and reason that that is the correct and only way to handle the foundation planting. Actually, only one house in a hundred, or in certain areas one in a thousand, has its foundation planting handled correctly!

The Long View

As it may help you to consider this problem first from the psychological angle, try to convince yourself that anything really good is worth waiting for. Have a stout heart if, after putting in your foundation planting in accordance with the suggestions offered in this book, you find your neighbors looking askance at you as if they thought you just a little off balance because you have planted specimens no more than 12 inches high, and have spaced them 6 or 7 feet apart. Of course that looks scanty; and it is easy to see how the uninitiated might consider it ridiculous. But if the sketches succeed in showing you what your planting will eventually look like, then you can face your critics with a smile of contentment, safe in your knowledge that, in four to six years, the foundation planting around your home will very likely be the finest in the neighborhood. You may even point out to them how much money you have saved by planting the foundation according to good landscape principles.

Location of Vertical Lines

Referring again to the placing of plants where the strong vertical lines of the architecture meet the ground, we find that both sides of any door fit this description, thus giving us two points where plants should be used. Other strong vertical lines are at inside or outside corners of buildings. Even a small break in the wall of a building can be considered a corner, and these locations should also be treated as points that call for planting. It is not vitally essential but it will look better in the long run.

 

Organic Gardening

Organic Fertilizer Advantages

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Even a seasoned farmer may get mystified by the types of organic fertilizer and chemical fertilizer available in the market nowadays. Some gardeners may also get tempted to simply procure commercial fertilizers rather than go through the trouble of making their own.

A rule of thumb in gardening and cultivation is to consider the benefits and disadvantages of using each kind of fertilizer prior to buying in bulk.

Organic fertilizers increase soil health and that of the flora that help the growth of the plants.

Naturally occurring microbes convert organic substance to minerals plants can quickly use. The earthworms around the crops loosen the soil for better root development. Organic fertilizer use will increase the population of these beneficial soil organisms and will benefit your garden in the long run.

You can maintain nutritional stability in the soil by applying organic fertilizers that will not upset the balance. The effects of these fertilizers are not only for the present crop but also for future planting. Organic matter is incorporated in the soil and remains available to crop roots.

Organic fertilizers are easy on the soil and on the crops, but we have to admit that purchasing these from suppliers is tricky. Some of these fertilizers aren’t sold commercially in some localities. You either have to import them from another state, create your own or buy them at a higher price compared to commercial fertilizers.

Although organic fertilizers have many advantages, they do take long to break down in the soil. Thus, making it hard for crops to obtain the minerals they require.

Although there’s a type of organic fertilizer that gets absorbed easily, most of the organic matter in these fertilizers is allowed to naturally decay in the soil, making mineral absorption slower.

While chemical fertilizers can be harmful to the soil in the long run, most farmers would rather take the risk and use a formulation that has a specific ratio of the minerals their plants need. Chemical fertilizers are being vended in shops and retail outlets so they are also more accessible to farmers.

Looking to find more on liquid organic fertilizer, then visit www.best-organic-fertilizer.com to find the best advice on organic fertilizer for you.